| Mike Lasala |
| Acoustic | Rock | Evolving | Soul |
| All contents copyright M. Lasala 2001 - 2011 |
| Mike Lasala (pronounced luh-sal-uh) merges gritty vocals, acoustic guitar, and introspective lyrics, to create a unique yet widely appealing brand of acoustic rock. With a voice described as "very similar to Scott Weiland [of Stone Temple Pilots] or a later-day Springsteen," and "lead guitar chops which ain't nothing to shrug off," his songs convey life lessons, observations, and experiences that seek to reassure others they are not alone on the journey we call life. His self-imposed moniker, Acoustic | Rock | Evolving | Soul, speaks as much to his musical style as to his life's philosophy: that we are here to grow and learn from our experiences--be they good, bad or indifferent. Mike grew up a blue-collar kid in the white-collar town of Guilford, CT. He started playing electric guitar at the age of 13, during the early years of MTV (aka: EmpTV), spending much of his time trying to copy lead guitar players in bands such as Iron Maiden, Rush, Dio, Ratt, Ozzy Osborne, Yngwie Malmsteen, Van Halen and others. He also had a particular affinity for Jimi Hendrix which remains to this day. By his mid-teens, Mike had developed some formidable lead guitar chops, and was a sought-after guitarist for local cover bands. After high school, Mike went to college where he developed an appreciation for music in a wide array of genres--from jazz to blues, alternative to hip-hop, and beyond. It was at this time that he started performing his original songs solo acoustic, while continuing to play in local cover bands. After college, Mike settled in New Haven, CT, and in 1993, with his talented brother Dave on lead vocals and bass, he co-founded what became the award-winning hard rock trio, Dysfunctional. The band garnered critical and popular acclaim in the local scene, saw its tunes get into rotation on local radio, and graced the stage of the legendary Toad's Place--with plans to take New York City by storm. By early 1995 however, due to creative differences, the band had broken up. Shortly thereafter, Mike began auditioning for local bands, but ultimately decided a change of scene was in order. So after packing up his Chevy Cavalier with most of his worldly possessions, Mike spent two months traveling around the country, sleeping at camp sites, youth hostels, and even in his car, all the while meeting a variety of characters who would ultimately provide inspiration for new songs. He also began developing a greater appreciation for the craft of songwriting and songwriters such as Neil Young and Cat Stevens. By the end of his trip, Mike had reached Northern California, where he would settle in early 1996. Soon thereafter, he started performing solo acoustic at open mics and jamming with musicians in Berkeley and San Francisco, and recorded a demo with a band in a short-lived project. Fate would return Mike to Connecticut in 1998 for what he thought would be six-months. But opportunities arose, both musical and otherwise, and he soon found himself attending and even being a panelist at music conferences in New York City, as well as befriending executives at Atlantic Records and Wind-Up Entertainment. Mike continued to write songs in earnest, and formed the locally popular acoustic groove band, Seed Cycle, but a record deal did not come. By 2001, Mike decided to become a solo acoustic artist, and recorded a two song demo, which featured what would become one of his most popular songs: "George the Gifter." The song chronicles the life of an elderly self-made millionaire who in spite of many tragedies has given away most of his money to charity. Mike included the song on his full-length solo debut "Somewhere to Be" in 2003, and re-recorded it with a full band on his sophomore effort, "This Strange Place," in 2006. Since the release of his debut Mike has... *Performed at coffeehouses, bars, colleges (UCONN) and festivals throughout Connecticut; *Received airplay on 99.1 WPLR, 1340 WYBC, UltraRadio.com, and Radio Golden Flash in Belgium ; *Garnered favorable reviews in the New Haven Advocate, PLAY Magazine and CT Music.com ; *Seen his song "George the Gifter" picked by PLAY Magazine as one of the 10 best songs of 2006; *Watched Somewhere to Be sell-out three times at CDBaby.com and his sophomore release, This Strange Place, sell-out twice. In May 2011, Mike relocated to Jupiter, FL to write new songs and explore new opportunities. He expects to perform at open mics and clubs in Palm Beach County in the near future. |
| If you would like to hire Mike to play at your event or license any of his music for use in film, television or by other artists, click here. |
| Reviews of "This Strange Place" "Eleven acoustic-based tunes that reside happily on the corner of Rock and Folk streets. Simple and well written with a smoky vocal coating...Lasala also gets to show off his lead guitar chops which ain't nothing to shrug off" - Craig Gilbert, New Haven Advocate, 12/7/06 "...a voice very similar to Scott Weiland or a later-day Springsteen...With deep confessionals, story songs, and just plain catchy words and melodies, This Strange Place, is a cut above his 2003 debut Somewhere to Be." - Patrick Ferrucci, Register Entertainment Editor, PLAY Magazine, 12/6/06 Click here for more reviews. |
| Long Bio |